Page 71 of Blood & Loyalties
“It killed me not to tell you. So many times, I wanted to.” I looked away from her. “I couldn’t risk you getting hurt. I couldn’t risk anyone getting hurt, Kiera. Please understand.” I looked back at her, seeing some of the fire had dissipated from her eyes.
“The only way you get hurt in this family is if you don’t talk. It’s too damn important. You know this.” She huffed out a big breath. “No more secrets,” she commanded.
“I love you.” I walked up to her, wrapping my arms around her and feeling how stiff she was. After a few moments, the steel went out of her spine, and she wrapped her arms around me, sagging into me. “No more secrets,” I whispered.
“I love you, too,” she said into my shoulder.
We stood there for a while, until Val broke the moment.
The day wentby in a blur. Jag had to work, leaving me with Kiera. We watched movies and ate way too much. I actually felt like myself for the first time in months. I felt smiles creep across my lips and welcomed each of them.
So much had happened over the past day, but it felt like weeks had passed. Kiera made a huge dinner with lasagna, salad, and bread. It seemed the mouths we needed to feed and take care of were growing.
After setting it out buffet style, the guys would come in and out, eating and moving around the property. Rex never left my side. That man was seriously intense, and when he wasn’t watching me, his eyes were glued to Kiera. Interesting.
That night, after Jag made love to me, I drifted off to the most peaceful sleep I’d had in what felt like forever.
“Morning,”Jag’s gruff voice came from beside me. I was cocooned around his strong body, his head resting on the pillow and mine on his chest.
“Morning.”
His hands moved slowly up and down my arm, soothing me. “Do you need to go into the office today?”
I had spent the entire day yesterday goofing off around the house. I definitely had work to do.
“Yeah, I have money to make.”
He kissed the top of my head and rolled out of bed. “Stay with Rex at all times,” he said as his fine ass sauntered into the bathroom.
I hada weekend spent with Jag inside of me, and I had to say it was the best reconnection time I could have ever asked for. If truth be told, I’d never felt closer to him than I did after that weekend. The next two days, Jag had seen me off to work with a passionate kiss, Rex and Scraper on my heels.
Rex was my shadow at the office the entire week, even staying in for meetings. At first, it was a bit awkward, but after the first couple of times, it had just flowed.
The next weekend was spent with Kiera, movies, and junk food. While I knew Jag was searching for the stalker, I missed him. I hadn’t received another note from the stalker, so I was praying he had gone away.
When Jag was around, we fell instantly into the comfort of each other. Everything was so natural between us. I never had to try; it was just there. We talked and laughed. He made me happy, a feeling that I’d lost the moment I got that damn envelope.
Tuesday morning, I took phone calls and did research. Rex sat in the corner, staring blankly at the TV on the far wall. I had gotten it for him because I didn’t want him to be bored, though he never complained. Hell, he hardly ever talked, which was fine with me.
My phone buzzed.
“You have a delivery. I’ve signed for it, but it’s marked urgent,” Molly said on the other end.
“Please bring it in.”
“Be right there.”
A knock on my door came moments later.
“Come in.”
Molly strode in, eyeing Rex in the corner as she handed me the white envelope. When she turned, she almost ran into the chair, not looking where she was going.
“Thank you, Molly.” I smiled as red embarrassment crept up her neck, and she quickly left the room without another word.
Rex snidely turned to the door, watching her leave.
“Do you like the women tripping over you here?” I asked Rex, not expecting an answer.
